Thriving dangerous drugs industry
house in Highfield.
During this publication’s investigations, The Gambler had, like most drug lords, gone underground following the police drug blitz that came after the exposure of drug abuse in schools.
From Highfield our investigation took us to Harare’s oldest high-density suburb of Mbare where, like prostitution, drug abuse has spread like veld fire.
While The Gambler and her kin in Highfield and elsewhere import their wares from neighbouring countries, the Mbare drug lords manufacture most of the drugs in their backyards.
The drugs are distributed at countless spots in Mbare, mostly in the open and in broad daylight.
Mbare is now home to many music festivals such as Passa Passa and most of these are set up by the drug lords for the main purpose of selling drugs.
Many dancehall artistes have at one point or another associated with the Mbare drug lords.
“The Mbare drug kingpins have destroyed youths with drugs,” said a whistle-blower Never Maswerasei.
“They are making their own backyard version of highly intoxicating cough syrup (codeine clone) especially during the festive season when South African suppliers are closed for holidays.”
Since the launch of the drug blitz, police have managed to arrest just the “runners” and small time abusers.
They are still promising to pounce on the drug lords, some of whom they claim they know.
Two drug runner suspects, Armstrong Tayengwa and Joylene Mabika who were arrested on allegations of keeping dangerous drugs in Chitungwiza, accuse the police of deliberately avoiding to arrest a known Chitungwiza drug kingpin.
They said during court proceedings before magistrate Dennis Mangosi that there was a man who was not searched during the search for drugs, which was conducted by the police in the community.
That man, they said, was the one responsible for bringing the drugs to the accused persons’ house.
The World Health Organisation estimates that in 2019, about 180 000 people lost their lives due to drug use disorders, while substance use was responsible for 11,8 million deaths in 2017, both directly and indirectly.
A fortnight ago, the government declared war on drug lords and users as they launched a national anti-drug operation dubbed “No To Dangerous Drugs And illicit Substances; See Something Say Something”.
Harare Metropolitan Affairs and Devolution secretary Tafadzwa Muguti said the drug scourge had reached alarming levels, hence the introduction of stringent measures.
“We have stopped looking at rehabilitation first before arrest because that is the mistake we were making,” Muguti said.
“If we find someone who is under the influence of drugs, the law says that you can be arrested for being drunk and intoxicated in public.”
As of Wednesday the Zimbabwe Republic Police had arrested a total of 2 175 for the consumption and peddling of drugs and illicit substances across the country during the ongoing operation.
“On 14 February 2023, police arrested 23 people across the country during the on-going operation,” police said.
“Police in Mbare, Harare arrested 13 suspects for being found in possession of skin lightening creams and other substances without licences while others were smoking dagga. Police seized a load of the recovered drugs.”
In Masvingo, ZRP Commissioner David Mahoya revealed that some drugs and dangerous substances were being brought into the province from neighbouring South Africa.
Earlier this week, a ZRP member was nabbed for dealing drugs after he was exposed on social media.
Police intensified the fight against drug and substance abuse nationwide after the elite Catholic girls high school, Dominican Convent in Harare expelled eight students over drug abuse.
After that a lot of drug abuse instances in schools, including videos, are being brought into the public exposing rampant drug abuse especially among the youth.